UMass Boston

The university has made some important changes that will allow students to receive financial aid, billing, and payment information earlier then ever before. Students are also now required to make a plan to pay the balance of their bill by the due date.

Improvements made:

• Tuition & Fees Rates are posted on the Bursar website.
• Financial Aid packages are available in early July (for fall students who submitted a FAFSA by the May 1 priority deadline and completed all related To-Do list items).
• Registered students can view charges in WISER in early July for fall and early January for spring.
• Enrollment for a payment plan is available once charges are in WISER. See more about how to enroll, including a how-to video.

Actions you can take:

• Register early. By registering as early as you can, you can take advantage of the best selection of courses. Remember that you can always make adjustments as needed.
• Submit your FAFSA by the priority deadline to make sure your aid is packaged as early as possible.
• Make a plan to pay. This means you should review your bill early to understand how much of your balance will not be covered by financial aid and 3^rd party payments (waivers, loans, etc.) and how you will pay that amount by the due date on the bill.^.

What will Happen:

• Any balance must be paid in full or a payment plan must be in place before the start of the semester or your courses may be dropped and you will have to re-enroll. If you do not intend to attend classes that you have registered for, you must drop them before the add/drop deadline or you may be charged for them.  Non-payment or refusing to make a plan to pay does not guarantee that you will be dropped from courses.  Please refer to the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement or contact the One-Stop with questions.

FAQs Plan to Pay-Summer 2024

NOTE: DO NOT use the plan to pay process as a way to drop courses.  Students MUST drop courses that they don’t plan to attend THEMSELVES or they may be responsible for the cost. UMB Staff cannot drop courses for students. 

• New Updates
  • New changes in registration and billings for Summer 2024.
  • Prior semester balances do not count toward potential course drop, but will be included in payment plan amounts.
  • Your WISER balance is “real-time” with enrollment changes. Payment plans are delayed and will rebalance between payments if changes are made.

• What are the changes for Summer 2024 registration and billing?
  • New Changes in Billing for Summer 2024.
    • New registration deadline – May 10^th for all sessions.
    • New timeline for Financial Aid awards – May 13^th to May 16^th.
    • New payment deadline - May 23^rd.
    • New date for dropping students without a plan to pay by the billing due date from their summer courses -May 31^st .

• Why are these changes being made?
  • These changes are designed to provide clear deadlines and to support students in finalizing their plans for summer courses earlier in the cycle.
    • Student success is UMass Boston’s #1 priority.
    • The policy aims to ensure that enrolled students are informed about their financial obligation and remain on the road to completion of their degree without incurring unnecessary debt.
    • These changes build on UMass Boston’s existing foundation from last year:
      • Over 80% of students had already signed up for classes by May 1^st.
      • Students with plans to pay had better success rates than those who did not.
    • Having clear deadlines helps students get their plans to pay in place and more readily allows staff to assist them in this process.

• What are the different summer sessions?
  • The summer sessions are as follows:

**Drop Dates for classes with non-standard meeting dates.

• • Some courses scheduled in SS3, SP1 and SP2 sessions have different start and end dates.
  • Check class details and your schedule for the actual meeting dates.
  • Drop dates will vary for non-standard classes that begin AFTER the session start date.
  • For information about and assistance with dropping one of these classes, email registrar@umb.edu.

• What if I miss the May 10^th registration deadline?  Can I still register for a class?
  • No, you must be registered for all summer classes by May 10^th.

• What changes have been made to the payment plan this summer?
  • The payment plan offered for summer requires that 50% of the amount for all sessions is due on May 23^rd and the remaining 50% is due by June 30^th.  There is no payment plan offered only for Summer 2.

• What improvements are there with Financial Aid awards this summer
  • Financial Aid will be packaged for all summer classes between May 13^th and May 16^th and will be in place before bills are generated on the evening of May 16^th.  Additionally, students with over half time status may be eligible for any remaining funds available from the new Mass Grant Expansion program.

• I am concerned about being dropped from my courses.  How can I avoid it?
  • Course drops can be avoided by:
    • Paying your bill in full by the payment due date of May 23^rd OR
    • Setting up a payment plan by the payment due date. Please note that summer payment plans consist of two monthly payments.  The first payment of 50% is due on May 23^rd and the second payment is due on June 30^th
    • Paying attention to notices from the Bursar’s Office if you owe a balance and following the steps in the notices to ensure not being dropped.

• What if I have a third-party waiver or outside scholarship paying for part of all of the classes for which I am registered?
  • Please reach out to the Bursar’s Office to let them know and to discuss next steps for settling your student account.

• What if I am enrolled in a special or non-summer program?
  • You will be billed for your classes and need to pay by the date indicated on your bill.  A service indicator will be placed on your account so that you are not dropped from classes.

• What if I sign up for a class but no longer want to take it after the registration deadline has passed?
  • You can still drop the class any time before the end of add/drop, which is May 31^st for Summer 1 and Summer 3 classes and July 18^th for Summer 2 classes and receive a refund for payments made.

• What if I sign up for a Summer 2 class where there is a prerequisite that I need to complete in Summer 1 and for whatever reason, I do not successfully finish the prerequisite class in Summer 1?
  • You will be able to drop the Summer 2 class any time prior to the end of add/drop for Summer 2 on July 18^th.  It is your responsibility to drop the class to ensure that you are not charged and receive a full refund.

• Plan to Pay (fall/spring semester):
  • Seeing a “Plan to Pay” indicator on your WISER account means you are at risk of being dropped from courses. Contact the One-Stop to get a plan to pay in place so the indicator can be removed.
  • International students will be provided additional time to comply and will not have courses dropped.
  • Prior semester balances do not count toward potential course drop, but will be included in payment plan amounts.
  • Your WISER balance is “real-time” with enrollment changes. Payment plans are delayed and will rebalance between payments if changes are made.
  • Students who register late will still need a Plan to Pay by the due date on the bill or they may be assessed a late payment fee(s).

• What is the simplest way to deal with this new requirement?
  • Start early!
  • Register for courses as early as possible.
  • File your FAFSA to get your financial aid awarded.
  • Get your bill “final” as early as possible.
    • Have registration and financial aid awards complete.
    • Have sign-ups for MBTA passes, parking passes, commuter meal plans completed
    • Waive your health insurance if you have comparable insurance
  • Get all of your paperwork in and/or alert the Bursar or One-Stop of funding that is coming later than the bill due date (3^rd party scholarships, loans, waivers, etc.)
  • Sign up for a payment plan if you need one as soon as any charge hits your account and/or be prepared to make the/a payment (payment amounts will “rebalance” to include new charges and payments).

• Must I pay my fall/spring semester bill in full by the due date on the bill?
  • You have to submit payment for the balance OR set up a payment plan in WISER for the amount left (if any) after all deductions from aid, 3^rd party payments, etc.

• How will UMass Boston know if I have a “Plan to Pay”?
  • Most student accounts will carry an indicator that identifies whether they have a plan to pay or not (“P2P”). If that indicator remains on the account by the due date on the bill, you may be dropped from course registrations.  
    • To remove the indicator, you must have paid the balance in full, enrolled in a payment plan AND have submitted to the Bursar, (or other contact with UMB staff), all necessary supporting materials for 3rd party payments (outside scholarships, loans, 529 plans, etc.) that you are waiting for.
    • If you have all of that before the due date of your bill, your first payment (of 5) will be due on the net amount owed after all deductions from pending aid and other 3rd party aid, etc. If you do not have materials submitted, you will only have a 4-payment plan available and will make the first payment at the next due date. 
    • If you choose to not have a payment plan at all, you must pay the balance in full by the due date of your bill or possibly be dropped from courses or incur a late fee(s).

• What if I am waiting for an outside scholarship, funds from a 529 plan, or another source?
  • You may be asked to provide some documentation to avoid possible drop from courses
    
    • You can submit information supporting your plan to pay for review by UMB staff through contact with the One-Stop or Bursar’s Office.

• What if I am a residential student planning to live in the Motley residence halls this fall?
• You will be billed separately for your housing costs by COCM.
• Your residential meal plan will be automatically added to your bill once your contract to live in student housing is complete.

• What kind of documentation do I have to provide for 3rd party payments of my bill?
• First, if you are a continuing student and have had a 3^rd party payor in the past, you may not need to provide documentation. Check with the One-Stop to be sure.
• Ex. 3^rd party Contracts, Award Letters, National Guard Certificates, Financial Guarantee Letters, or Purchase Order should be submitted to the Bursar's Office ASAP.

• When could my courses be dropped if I don’t have a plan to pay?
• Prior to the end of Add/Drop in any semester.
• There may be additional rounds for those who register later, which will be publicized in advance, with a final drop occurring at the close of the add/drop period.

• I have not registered for courses but there are charges on my account.  Do I have to pay them by the due date?
• You may have charges from a previous semester on your account. Such charges will not count toward a potential drop of courses but they will be included in a payment plan.
• You may have charges for a meal plan, parking pass or other non-course related actions on your bill before you register for classes. You should pay those charges by the due date of the invoice or set up a payment plan. 
• When you register for courses, charges will be added and you will have to pay the balance by the next due date or sign up for a payment plan (5, 4, or 3 payments depending on when you register and sign up for the plan).
• A payment plan will “rebalance” to include the new charges and payments made.

• I have an assistantship, does this change anything?
• Yes.  Provide proof of that to the One-Stop or Bursar as part of your plan to pay.  If you are using the payroll deduction option from GEO, note that, and you will have the “P2P” indicator removed from your account and avoid being dropped from your course registrations.

• I am an international student, does this change anything?
• Yes.  International students will have more time to complete their Plan to Pay.

• I am a Shorelight Student, does this change anything?
• Yes.  Shorelight students are exempt once payment has been received by Shorelight.  Any Shorelight scholarship will also be added to your account through communication with Shorelight.